GTA 5 LODs, explained
Updated 2026-07-23
LOD stands for level of detail: simplified copies of a model the game swaps in as the camera moves away. Stock assets ship with several. Custom assets often ship with none, and that is why a custom prop pops out of existence at thirty meters or a custom outfit vanishes on other players across the street.
How GTA 5 uses LODs
A drawable can hold up to four detail levels: High, Medium, Low, and Very Low. The game picks one by distance. Two things follow:
- If only the High level exists, the game has nothing to show once the High draw distance ends. The model disappears.
- Rendering the full-detail mesh up close is fine; rendering it for forty peds across the map is what LODs exist to avoid.
The symptoms of missing LODs
- Props that vanish at a fixed distance instead of fading to simpler shapes.
- Clothing that disappears on distant players while the ped itself remains.
- Frame drops in crowded areas, because every ped wears full-detail meshes.
Generate missing LODs automatically
- 1For clothing and other .ydd files: drop them into the YDD optimizer; it detects missing levels and generates Medium, Low, and Very Low from the High mesh. The bulk version processes a whole pack.
- 2For new props: the GLB to YDR converter can generate LOD levels at conversion time; turn them on when exporting.
- 3For vehicles: the vehicle optimizer reports and reduces oversized fragments.
Generated LODs are simplified automatically from the original mesh. Check the preview after generating: at LOD distances the simplification is invisible in game.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need LODs on every custom asset?
- Anything players see at a distance benefits: props, clothing, vehicles. A small handheld item that only exists near the camera matters much less.
- Will generated LODs change how my asset looks up close?
- No. The High level is untouched; generated levels only replace it at a distance, where the simplification is not visible.
- Why does my prop still vanish after adding LODs?
- The archetype draw distance also matters: the lodDist in the YTYP caps how far the game draws the object at all. Raise it if the prop should be visible further out.